In countries such as the U.S. that authorizes casino-owning business, players can enjoy games with gaming machines while paying cash for games in casinos or game halls. Some of known gaming machines usually have a bill acceptor for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,556 (Document 1). In another aspect, Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 2009-265991 (Document 2) demonstrates an electronic settlement system in game halls such as amusement arcades.
The gaming machine shown in Document 1 comprises a button panel including a display and a user interface area for allowing an operator to play a game of chance, a bill acceptor incorporated into the machine for accepting and validating currency to credit the user with a corresponding number of play credits for the gaming apparatus, and a note dispenser for dispensing currency as payout for successful play.
The electronic settlement system exhibited in Document 2 comprises a plurality of terminal systems each electrically connected to corresponding one of a plurality of gaming machines provided in amusement arcades to handle transaction fee information in terminal systems, and a payment device communicated with the terminal systems through a communication network to electronically pay playing fees in gaming machines from terminal systems. Each terminal system comprises a card processor for rewriting squared information stored in an IC (integrated circuit) card for settlement and a settlement controller for establishing a telecommunication with the payment device to send and receive squared information between the card processor and settlement controller in accordance with command signals from the electronic settlement device and to give a gaming machine a permission of the utilization when receiving a notice of settlement completion from the payment device. The payment device comprises a signal processor for making settlement based on squared information read from IC card through a terminal system and for writing new squared information on the IC card through the terminal system upon completion of payment process, a settlement communicator for sending a settlement signal of the payment to the terminal system, and a processing communicator for sending processed information on settlement process to a superior settlement system through a communication route except the communication network.
Meanwhile, a known debit card is a plastic card that allows the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account at a financial institution. Some cards have a stored value for payment by withdrawing funds from a designated account in favor of the designated payee's bank account. The card can be used as an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. In some cases, the primary account number is assigned for use on the Internet. Unlike credit and charge cards, a debit card makes it possible to make an immediate payment to a payee from the cardholder's designated bank account. Debit cards usually also allow for instant withdrawal of cash, acting as the ATM card for withdrawing cash.
However, until now, no one has ever presented an electronic payment system for an automated machine that may offer services or goods to provide real-time electronic payment transactions. On the other side, there would be a need for providing an electronic payment system that enables to drive an automated machine such as a gaming machine at the same time as reception and electronic settlement of a transaction fee signal received from a cell phone.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic payment system capable of making electronic spot settlement for transaction between a user who pays electronic money and the system for driving an automated machine. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic payment system applied to a gaming machine for presenting games. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine capable of selecting either electronic or cash payment for gaming.